The role of emotional intelligence on social entrepreneurial intention of university students: evidence from a lower-middle income country

Objective: The application of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is employed to scrutinize how emotional intelligence relates to the intention for social entrepreneurship within the context of Bangladesh. Specifically, this study investigates whether relationship management, social awareness, self-awareness, and self-management components constituting emotional intelligence- affect the decision-making process towards embracing social entrepreneurship.Research Design & Methods: In accordance with a quantitative methodology, a cohort of 400 freshmen from Bangladeshi universities, aged between 21 and 26, participated in responding to a structured questionnaire comprising 46 items. Data collection employed a systematic random sampling technique. Subsequently, for hypothesis assessment, the SmartPLS version 4 software facilitated consistent PLS-SEM algorithm and bootstrapping analyses.Findings: According to survey findings, there is a strong positive association between the relevant variables. The results demonstrate that intentions of students to become social entrepreneurs were highly influenced by their levels of relationship management, social awareness, and self-management. However, it is observed that self-awareness did not significantly contribute to the inclination towards social entrepreneurship.Implications & Recommendations: The findings of this study hold potential utility for academia and policymakers aiming to foster social entrepreneurship among university students. Succeeding research endeavors could enhance the understanding of social entrepreneurial intention by integrating contextual variables, thus providing a comprehensive perspective on the phenomenon.Contribution & Value Added: This study examines entrepreneurial intention within a distinct entrepreneurial context, integrating the four dimensions of emotional intelligence into the realm of social entrepreneurship research.